Mattthew Hinton/The Times-PicayuneJulian Wright will get this chance to be a starter with the New Orleans Hornets this season.That's what the New Orleans Hornets are doing with forward Julian Wright, whose first two seasons best can be described as uneven, his flashes of brilliance muted by longer, more consistent stretches where he completely disappeared or wasn't much of a factor.

So, obviously, it totally wouldn't shock anyone if Wright fails to seize the opportunity he has been given to step in as the starter at small forward in favor of Peja Stojakovic, who was a defensive liability and not much help to the fastbreak game even when he was younger and didn't have any issues with his back.

But this could work. Actually, this should work.

Being on the floor with Chris Paul for longer stretches should elevate Wright's consistency, should relieve him of the habit of rushing and trying to do too much when he's on the floor. With Paul serving as catalyst Wright can ease into his role and into the flow of the game, not being responsible for much more than guarding his man, providing a few high-flying moves on offense (Paul will be on the other end of those passes) and filling the fastbreak lanes that previously have gone unfilled when the Hornets starters have been on the floor.

The obvious absence will come in the halfcourt offense. That's where Stojakovic will be missed at times, and it's why he very well could finish games on the court while Wright finishes on the bench.

Stojakovic remains a premium outside shooter, the Hornets' best 3-point threat. Wright isn't close to being in his league in that category; few NBA players are.

So when Wright is on the floor with the starters rather than Peja, opponents obviously are going to look to gum up the lane defensively to keep Paul from breaking them down and creating layups. Paul's kick-out options significantly are reduced; other than power forward David West in the midrange, New Orleans might be dependent on Morris Peterson reclaiming his starting job at shooting guard and rediscovering the shooting eye that led the Hornets to sign him in the first place, to loosen up the sagging defense.

But that's a trade-off/risk it's time for the Hornets to take.

Wright previously hasn't been given much of a chance. True, he hasn't earned much of a chance all the time, either. But if the Hornets ever are going to find out what they have in Wright, a former first-round pick, the best chance is to give him some run with the best players and see if he can carry his share of the load.

And since last season ended the way that it did - a shameful, embarassing, first-round elimination to Denver that included the worst home playoff loss in franchise history, and arguably in NBA history - there's no time like the present for a shakeup.

So, for Wright, this is it. He won't have a better chance to prove he belongs, to show he's a starter, to help lift the Hornets. It's not an overly pressurized situation, given he won't have a glut of responsibility as long as Paul is on the floor at the same time. He can concentrate on his defensive assignments and not worry about being an offensive initiator; he'll be a third, fourth or even fifth offensive option.

Sure, there's a risk in giving a guy a job he hasn't earned and Wright hasn't yet earned the right to be called the starting small forward for the Hornets - not by virtue of having outplayed the competition.

But all things considered, this is one of those times that might not matter so much. All factors stack up in his favor, the main one being the Chris Paul factor.